Fiji RU statement: RWC player contracts and payments were honoured

The Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) board of trustees have issued a lengthy statement in response to comments made by 2023 Rugby World Cup captain Waisea Nayacalevu in an interview with the Daily Mail, as well as additional remarks shared by him and other team members through an interview with FBC News and content made public online by social media.

It read: “The welfare of our players is of utmost importance to the FRU, and we take these matters seriously. To ensure transparency and accountability, we have engaged the services of Naiveli and Co chartered accountants to conduct a comprehensive investigation into these allegations.

“Naiveli and Co charted accountants was tasked with reviewing the payment of all 2023 World Cup bonuses, player sign-on fees, and daily allowances. Their investigation found:

• All entitlements under player contracts were paid in full and in accordance with the fixed-term contracts signed by all members of the extended squad and the World Rugby Cup 2023 Flying Fijians team to France;

• All pay runs were made either on time, and in alignment with the contracted payout dates, except for pay runs one and two which were disbursed a day later than the contracted payout date and five pay runs were made between one to five dates earlier than the contracted due dates;

• Pay runs three to seven were processed before the contracted due dates with exception to five players with overseas bank accounts; the provision of erroneous or incomplete bank details and the procedures to attain regulatory approvals contributed to the delay;

• All $500 per day allowances were proposed correctly by the finance team at Fiji Rugby Union, based on the attendance sheets provided by the team manager;

• All sign-on fees were paid as per the contracts, with the exception of player 28 who joined squad late and was paid accordingly;

• All Government bonuses were paid as per the arrangements;

• All reimbursements were made in accordance with the entitlements outlined in the contracts or arrangements.

“The above findings support the conclusion that payments made to all players were largely in compliance with the terms of the player contracts and other arrangements.”

Peter Mazey, chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union, said: “We have challenged all players who accused FRU of corruption to come forward with any evidence they claim to have. We are committed to passing any evidence to the Police or FICAC for investigation. I can now confirm that not one player has come forward with evidence of corruption. This suggests that the claims may be unfounded.”

Regarding the matter of bonuses, Mazey added that “sadly” they had forgotten what the Prime Minister had said when he visited them in Taveuni at their first World Cup preparation camp in July 2023.

“It was widely reported in the media when Fiji’s Prime Minister visited the team in Taveuni that there will be a bonus, but it will come at the end of the World Cup. This arrangement aligns with past practices for our Olympic men’s and women’s rugby sevens teams after their medal achievements, and we believed it would apply to this World Cup as well.

“The team did threaten to boycott the quarter-finals unless a bonus was paid prior to the match against England. However, it is important to note that the Fiji Government had already paid part bonuses of $5,000 on September 8 and an additional $5,000 on October 13, 2023.

“Every player at the World Cup signed a fixed term employment  contract that clearly outlined their payment dates for the engagement period from July 1, 2023, to October 15, 2023.

“The payment for the period from October 1-15, 2023, was scheduled for Thursday, October 12. Twenty-eight players with Fiji bank accounts were paid on October 11, a day early, while the payments for the five players with overseas accounts were processed on October 12, all in line with their contracts.

“I can confirm that through correspondence with World Rugby, we have been advised that the additional payments made to the Fiji Rugby at the knockout phase during the Rugby World Cup in 2023 were for preparation and planning needs and to support with any additional costs. There were no prize monies associated with this payment.

“I can assure everyone that the trustees were appointed to address these issues only 14 months ago. We have discussed our challenges and findings openly, and I am pleased to announce that at the upcoming AGM for rugby, we will be revealing substantial changes in Fiji Rugby’s financial management.”

The FRU statement added: “The players had called for changes at Rugby House, personnel with experience in the sporting environment to run FRU. Had they forgotten the 12 senior managers who were all ex-national reps or the 105 full-time paid staff who all have rugby at heart and are committed to doing the best for rugby in Fiji and to the welfare of all our players. They are all deeply affected by the comments of a few players and the social media postings they brought on.

“The FRU remains committed to supporting our players and ensuring that we uphold the integrity of our organisation. In saying this, the trustees met before these accusations came to light, to navigate the best way forward for the players' well-being. It was decided in a trustees meeting in August of 2024 that it would be put forward to the incoming FRU board to secure the services of a well-being manager and a mental skills manager.

“The well-being manager will work across the men’s and women’s programme with the aim of implementing a comprehensive athlete development programme that addresses individual needs and prepares them for life after rugby.

“The mental skills manager will work in tandem with the well-being manager, coaches, staff and players. This role is geared towards creating appropriate high-performance environments where expected standards and behaviours are clear and enforced and where honest, respectful performance conversations can take place.

“We appreciate the continued support from our rugby community and the public as we work through these matters.”